


The Atlas March

by plutonie



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Dragons, Harsh Language, Violence, a lot of cute romance between rin and izumo, warnings for:
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-12 19:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2122488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutonie/pseuds/plutonie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>she closed her eyes, saying a soft prayer to herself before she was pushed further in. Izumo finds herself caught in the middle of a dragon feud- one that will change the world. Will she be able to hold her own against such powerful creatures, or will she succumb under the responsibility?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Gold Dreams and Things Obscene](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2000823) by [plutonie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutonie/pseuds/plutonie). 



Her feet hurt from the long trek up the mountain, the thin sheep skin soles doing nothing to protect her feet. It was colder as she went up the mountain, fingers now curled in fists pulled tight to her sides. Mist came out of her mouth as she breathed, panting as the air thinned. She had been given the ultimatum: go up the mountain as sacrifice or to die where she stood. Either way she ended up dead, but Izumo did not want her sister witnessing her death. Two of the village guards walked next to her in thicker clothes, masks hiding their identity so she could not see who they were. Izumo could have killed them had she had her weapons, but she did not and they were armed. She wouldn't stand a chance. 

Being a sacrifice never passed her mind. She had left before she was even old enough to be considered, hoping to find a way to defeat the beast. But getting a letter about her sisters condition, Izumo ignored the dangers of her returning and came running. They had lied. So here she was, hiking at knife point in a white ceremonial dress to become dragon food. Izumo hissed as she fell, hands flying out to catch herself. The rough dirt cut into her palms, but she wasn't given a chance to think about the pain before she was jerked up, hands held away from the dress. Blood dripped down her fingers and Izumo let her feet drag just to get back at the men. They easily carried her, she was smaller than the average woman her age, and soon they were at the mouth of the cave. 

It was pitch black. If Izumo cared to she could have stuck her hand inside and it would be lost in the darkness. The men drew their weapons and forced her to stand on her shaky legs. Izumo tried to keep her body from trembling, fighting the terror inside of her. According to tradition, the man on her left cut the pad of his thumb, and marked her left cheek with the warm liquid.  She didn't let the look of disgust show on her face, just staring into the eyes of the man who lead her to her death. Out of the corner of her eye she say the other man dip his thumb into a pocket of his pants, the thumb coming out red with something that wasn't his blood. He marked her opposite cheek, and Izumo was turned to the mouth of the cave. The red silk that covered her mouth to keep her from speaking was taken off, and she closed her eyes, saying a soft prayer to herself before she was pushed further in. 

The ground was sloped more than she expected, and Izumo screamed as she tumbled down, arms covering her head. A bright flash of white pain spread through her body as she hit the bottom, and Izumo tried to keep from crying as she laid there. The pain quickly dulled to a throb, and she forced herself to stand. 

It was brighter, but still dim. The air smelled strongly of incense, and Izumo stepped forward, closer to a lamp that was burning. She looked at her bleeding hands, frowning at how much blood spread onto her arms. Dirt and blood covered her dress, and Izumo wasn't sure why she was forced to wear it. 

"Another already?" The voice echoed off the walls, and Izumo yelped, hands clamping over her mouth to try to keep the sound in. She turned to the source of the voice, a man that looked no older than her stepping into the light. He looked mostly human, but Izumo could tell that he wasn't. His eyes were too bright of a blue, and his ears too pointed to be passable. Dread filled her stomach as she realized exactly who she was dealing with. "What?" He grinned at her. "Dragon got your tongue?" 

"N-no." Truth was that she was freezing, and the climb was just starting to catch up to her. Izumo lowered her hands, regretting that she put them on her face. She could feel the blood drying to her lips, and she blinked at the dragon. 

"Do you know any lore, little one?" He asked, voice like silk. Izumo nodded, and tried to keep her fingers moving. She wasn't sure how he was not freezing. 

"You are a dragon. One that is p-powerful enough to hold a human form, or a half dragon," He raised an eyebrow, and motioned for her to go on. "the most well known dragon is Satan, his most prominent feature h-his blue flames. I-it is rumored that he has a son who inherited t-the blue flames."

The dragon breathed, and Izumo could have sworn she saw awe in his seemingly glowing blue eyes. "You know more than the others, little one." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, and looked her over. 

"I w-went to school." Izumo started feeling impatient. She didn't want to avoid her death. 

"How did you get wrapped up in this then?" He asked, and Izumo shuddered as a cold breeze flew through her. She fought the foggy feeling in her mind. 

"T-tricked." She forced out, eyes drooping. Izumo could feel herself swaying, and the world around her swirled. 

"Really?" The dragon stepped forward, a warm hand on her shoulder, keeping her upright. Izumo peered up at him from under her lashes, knowing he was close enough to tell that she truly had red eyes and it wasn't a trick of light. His blue eyes were all she could seemingly see, her vision tunneled. 

"Yeah..." He was warm, and Izumo leaned against him. His chest rumbled, but she couldn't hear anything except for the rapid beating of his heart. 


	2. Chapter 2

Izumo curled tighter into herself, clutching something firm in her arms. She was warm, and whatever she was holding was the source of the heat. After trying to roll to the side only to have the object pull against her, Izumo forced herself to sit up, eyes still closed. Her hair had partially come out of the elegant bun it was forced into, the dark purple strands sticking to her neck and cheek, and Izumo tiredly pulled some out of her mouth. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, looking around the room after lowering her arms. Fur blankets surrounded her, illuminated by a dimly glowing candle across the room. Izumo shifted, turning to look behind her. There was an opening as far as she could tell, but the candle light didn't reach that far. Her dress from yesterday was stiff, and Izumo's heart started to pound as she realized where she was. And where the dragon wasn't. 

She threw the blankets off of her, wincing at the cold that came with being out in the open, and tried stand. Her hand made contact with skin and Izumo jerked back, eyes flickering down in panic. The dragon was asleep, arm thrown over his face and his chest bare. His right arm was laying in the spot where she had been, and Izumo sucked in air as she realized that the warm object she had been holding was the dragons arm. He moved, grumbling in his sleep, and Izumo shoved herself away from him, heart beat pounding in her ears. In her scramble to get away her foot hit the dragons muscled side, causing him to shoot up, and the candle flame suddenly grew and turned blue. A roar filled the cave. Izumo looked back at the dragon, on her hands and knees. His eyes were lidded as if he were in a trance, red covering most of the blue. She pushed herself up, hands aching as her cuts opened again. She pivoted on one foot, facing the dragon as he approached her. Izumo breathed heavily, training taking over her instincts as the dragon roared again and lunged at her. 

His move was easy to duck under. Izumo pushed his side as he passed her, trying to throw off his balance. His skin was hot under her fingers, and Izumo tried to ignore the throbbing in her hands. He swung back around, her push successful in throwing him off. Izumo put all of her weight in her next punch, hoping to know him out. She wasn't as good in hand to hand combat as she would like, but a fist to the face hard enough would knock anyone out. Even a dragon. 

His dropped like a rock, falling flat on his face and Izumo stared at him for a moment, hands still raised. She could feel the blood drip slowly down her arms, and looked at them. She had a small gash on each hand, the scab torn from her movement. 

"Fucking hell," The dragon groaned, and Izumo took several steps back shocked as he pushed himself to his knees. Izumo swallowed thickly as she watched his back muscles move, wanting to advert her eyes but not wanting to give him an opening. He rubbed his cheek, glaring at her with completely blue eyes. "Did you punch me?"

"Yes." Izumo said, taking another step back. The dragon turned to face her, his face serious. 

"Are you bleeding?" He asked, standing in a swift motion. Izumo nodded, holding her hands close to her. He held out his hands, recognizing her fear. 

"I'm not sure why you punched me--"

"You attacked me!" Izumo interjected, eyes narrowing. His shoulders hunched, and he raised his hands higher. 

"But you should know that you pack a punch for someone your size," He grinned at her, revealing his sharp fangs. "You also stink." 

Izumo's cheeks darkened with anger, and she opened her mouth to speak. The dragon crossed his arms, and she could already see the bruise forming on his jawline. She tightened her fists, wincing at the pain. "Well I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to bath recently. Sort of being held hostage by a crazy dragon who attacks people in his sleep." She bit out the words, and the dragon laughed. 

"I have a hot spring you can use if you really want." He said. Izumo could sense that he was guilty about attacking her, and was trying to make it up. Why, though? Why was he trying to keep her alive?

"I also want food." 

He raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment. He walked past her, and into the mouth of the darkness. Almost immediately after he walked in candles lit up, flaring blue before shifting into the normal orange. Izumo followed him down the hall, noticing makeshift doors over some parts of the wall. The dragon ducked into one and came out moments later, a bundle of cloth in his hands. Izumo's eyes narrowed at the dark green and brown fabric, not sure what he was going to do with it.

"It's for after you get out of the bath, little one," Her head shot up, and her surprised look quickly turned into a glare as he smiled at her and walked away. She crossed her arms,  and glared at the back of his head, hoping that she could burn a hole. "I'm sorry for anything that might come up, I'm not used to guests you see."

"We send girls every year. How are you not used to guests? Where are they?" Izumo stopped, shifting so her weight was on one leg. The dragon turned after a few more steps, blue eyes wide and innocent. 

"Lets get you bathed, little one, then we can discuss this." He turned again, and Izumo huffed. 

"Why do you call me little one?" She asked, trying to keep up with his quickened pace. 

"Because you are little. Would you rather me call you eyebrows?" He looked down at her, and opened a door. Heat rolled out, warming Izumo, and she blinked at the humidity before elbowing the dragon. 

"If you call me eyebrows I will end you." She muttered, stepping into the room that held the hot spring. The dragon set the clothes down. 

"Just follow the path back after you are done. Leave the gown here, I'll dispose of it later. We can also clean your wounds before we eat."  He shut the door, and Izumo sighed as she took her hair out of the now destroyed bun. 

The stiff dress was taken off next, thrown against the wall in a crumbled up ball. Izumo picked up the clothes the dragon offered, examining them. The dark green was a huge shirt, that reached well down to her knees if she held it to her shoulders. There was also shorts of some kind, the brown fabric, but they were tiny compared to the shirt. Izumo shrugged, and let them drop back to where they were before. She carefully unwrapped her chest wrapping, glad that the room was as warm as it was. Placing it folded neatly on top of the pile of clean clothing, Izumo turned and stepped to the water, relishing the heat that radiated off of it. 

After she cleaned the blood from her body, Izumo was positive she could stay in the hot spring forever. She didn't care if she started to look like a raisin, but her stomach growled and her cuts ached, so she was forced to get out. A strong smell was filling the room, making her stomach growl even more. Izumo knew she was procrastinating going out to see the young dragon again, she didn't want to find out what he planned to do to her after she was relaxed. Maybe some dragons liked to play with their food? It irked her that she couldn't use her schooling here, the dragon was like no other she had studied. Usually they were always in their dragon form, as the human one was weak, but her dragon was not. Usually they ate sacrifices upon seeing them, her dragon instead kept her from freezing and was being  _nice_ to her. Usually they would have showed their flames already, a way to show off to a potential mate, but her dragon did not. He had no reason to be acting this way, and Izumo was terrified that she couldn't plot his actions like she would have any other dragon. 

Izumo finished wrapping her chest, tucking the remaining bit of cloth into the area by her armpit. She grabbed the shirt, ignoring her wet hair, and easily slipped it on over her head. It hung loosely on her shoulders, but didn't slip off. As Izumo predicted, the shirt went to about her knees, acting more like a short dress than a shirt. The brown shorts were tighter than she thought they would be, and didn't show from underneath the shirt. She paused before going out of the room, looking at the white dress. She wanted to bring it so to bother the dragon, but she didn't want to carry it around with her. 

A filled the hall, and Izumo let her nose lead her to a door that was open. The dragon was bent over a pot, stirring a soup.  He still didn't have a shirt on, much to Izumo's dismay, and his clearly defined muscles moved underneath his skin. She blushed, and dropped her eyes to the floor. 

"You're done already?" He asked, his feet moving in her line of vision. Izumo didn't trust her face not to be red, and kept her head bent.

"Y-yes. Is the food done?" The dragon hesitated, and Izumo shifted in her stop. 

"Not yet, but - uh- lets get your hands wrapped." She flicked her eyes upwards, confused at his stumble of words, to see his face red. He seemed to realize that he was bare chested. The dragon raised his hand and pointed at a cushion. "Sit there, I'll be right back."

The cushion was surprisingly high quality, and Izumo wished that they had ones like it at the school. She also wondered where he got the things, as it was almost unheard of for a dragon to leave their territory, but her dragon was the strangest dragon she's heard of. True, there were several strange ones, like the one in the south that only takes bottles of wine as sacrifice, and the one to the east that doesn't take sacrifice. Izumo wished she was born in the east, then she wouldn't have left her sister with people who were violent. In the east her mother wouldn't have gone crazy. In the east Izumo wouldn't be sitting in a dragons cave. Sighing, Izumo turned her palms over, examining the cuts. They were red, but no longer bleeding, and the pain was almost nonexistent. There was a shuffling at the door, and the dragon walked in, his arms full of medical supplies. 

He also had a white shirt on. Izumo could tell how thin it was from where she was sitting, though, and she watched as he sat next to her, dropping the supplies into a heap in between them. He held out his hand, and Izumo gingerly placed on top of his burning hand. She could have put both onto one, as his hands dwarfed hers, but she didn't. It gave her a strange feeling, her hand being gently handled, and Izumo felt a pang of homesickness. 

"Where do you get these things?" She asked, trying to take her mind off of home. The dragon looked up at her, his blue eyes burning into her own before he looked back down at what he was doing. 

"Trade for them." He grunted. Izumo raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by how focused he was. 

"Why do you need them?" She asked next, wincing as he tightened the bandages. 

He motioned for the other hand. "I am a dragon, little one. Dragons fight, do they not?" 

"I didn't think that you would fight with anyone here,  _dragon._ " Izumo pursed her lips, and watched as his fingers faulted for a moment. 

"Many beings come here looking to kill me. You should know that, yes? Assuming that is what you went to school for."  He gave her a wary look, and Izumo forced her eyes to the side. 

"I went to school to learn how to kill you, dragon." She knew he could hear her words, no matter how hushed they were. 

"And how is that playing out for you? I'm not dead yet, am I?" 

Izumo glared at him, pulling her finished hands out of his. "I was pulled out of school before I could become the skill level to kill you."

"Why did you leave?" He moved back, putting space between them. 

"I got a letter from the village..." She stared into the fire, pain filling her chest. "They had said my baby sister was dying, and that I should come back," The dragon looked at her sadly, as if he understood her pain. Anger moved within her, burning down her arms and into her fingertips. "when I arrived I was forced to do this or be hanged for the village to see."

The dragon's fists clenched, and he clenched his jaw. Izumo glanced at him in confusion, wondering why he was angry. He spoke, his words filled with fury. "I did not know that it was that bad..."

"What? Did you expect the village girls to commit suicide willingly?" She bit out, the anger returning tenfold. "Why am I not dead yet?"

"Would you like to be dead?" He growled, standing. Izumo copied his actions, raising her voice. 

"I would like to be home!" Angry tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, and Izumo willed them not to fall. 

"You should be grateful that I haven't sent word that I have you here!" He roared, turning away from her to pace. 

"Sent word?! To whom?!" She clenched her fists at her side, ignoring how the fire went blue. 

"Do you really think that I kill the girls who are sent here?" He asked, voice still loud. 

Izumo wished she was bigger, more threatening, so she could make the dragon scared of her. Instead the tears fell, but she didn't wipe them away. "No. I think you are weak enough to have someone else do your dirty work." 

The dragon turned to face her, his anger faltering at her tears, but Izumo gave him no time to comment on them. She brushed past him, swinging the door shut behind her. As soon as she was in the hall she broke off into a run, letting her legs guide her down the hall. She stopped at a door, this one more decorated than the rest and shoved herself in, closing it behind her. If she wasn't crying, Izumo would have marveled in the beauty of the room. She rubbed at her eyes, and walked further into the room, finding a lifted off the floor bed. 

Throwing herself onto the bed, Izumo allowed the sobs to shake her body, thinking of home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo second chapter  
> I was thinking that this will update weekly, depending on when I work and stuff like that. The day will probably be on Thursday.   
> How do you guys like it so far?


	3. Chapter 3

The bed she was on had silk sheets, which Izumo guessed she had ruined with her tears. Pushing herself out of the wet spot she had made and sitting up, Izumo looked around the room. It was elegant, and had a tall ceiling with sweeping deep blue fabric linking gold plated columns lined along the wall. The candle light only reached out so far, but there were dark shapes for the light to bounce off of towards the edge. Izumo guessed that the room she had ran into was a private chamber of some sorts, a room to show of the dragons achievements. There were none that she could see and Izumo turned to see what was behind her. Three tall shelves that reached the ceiling were in one corner, and the door was in the one next to it. Izumo sniffed, wishing that she was back with Tsukumo. She even wished she was back in the village. Izumo would rather be locked in a room with her mother for a day than be here for another.

Her mother had been the village priestess. Young with two children, both girls training in her steed, she was a village favorite. Izumo remembers her mother fancying a merchant that would visit every month, remembers the way her mother would hold her and her sister close, gushing over the man. At her age Izumo didn't understand why her mother was distracted, and instead focused on her younger sister who was a toddler. Tsukumo was a smart child for her age, and Izumo would do anything for the child. They were sisters after all. It was obvious who Izumo and Tsukumo were when they would venture out into the village without their mother. Their small oval eyebrows and short, cropped bangs were a dead give away. It didn't help that their mother would make a scene every time she went out in public with her daughters. Izumo chuckled to herself as she remembered her mother shouting in the middle of the market square about how her children where the most beautiful children in the realm, and that is why her family was blessed by the Gods. 

They weren't blessed in the way Izumo thought. Soon after the merchant moved into the village, and her mother became--

The door slammed open, and the dragon panted as he stared at her. "You have to hide, the Collector is here."

"The Collector?" Izumo said, warily watching as the dragon strode to the bed. He easily pulled her up out of the bed, and walked over to a wardrobe twice her size. Izumo was shocked that she hand't seen it earlier, but had no time to give it much though before she was shoved into it. 

"There's a handle on the lower right corner, little one, pull that and you should have enough room to hide. Don't make a sound, and don't come out until I get you. Do you understand?" His eyes were wide and darted around the room, and Izumo could feel the fear rolling off him in thick waves. Izumo nodded and turned, feeling for the handle the dragon spoke off. She pulled it, and a small hatch opened further in the wardrobe. Izumo slipped her leg in, testing how deep it was, before fitting herself completely in. 

The top was shut quickly after she was settled, and Izumo closed her eyes, trying to hear if anything was in the room. The dragons footsteps away from her hiding place stopped, and Izumo froze as a deep voice echoed in the small space she was in. 

"I smell fresh blood, Okumura, are you sure she died?" Something fell over with a dull thud, and Izumo forced her breathing to become shallow, knowing that dragons can hear well beyond human capabilities. 

"Yes, Mephisto, there is no chance she is still alive." The dragon, Okumura, said. There was a stiffness in his voice. He wasn't good at lying. 

"So you wouldn't object to me searching this room, would you?" His voice frightened Izumo, how he spoke like he could care less about what happened here. Izumo put a hand to her mouth, and tried to calm herself. Powerful beings don't have to worry about what happens next. 

"Even if I said no you would do it anyways, so I don't see any reason to object." Okumura said. There was a booming laugh, and a sigh. 

"You always tell the best jokes. I assume that you will get another sacrifice since this one died before she could be collected?" The voice moved closer to her, and there was another thud. 

"The village is out of girls the required age, Mephisto, I will not take a child." His voice was sharp. 

"Your father would suggest you sack the village..." The man's words were said in a melody, and Izumo felt a cold seep into her bones. 

"My  _father_ doesn't know what he is talking about." 

There was a rhythmic tapping on the wardrobes wood. Izumo's breath caught. 

"It's a bad idea to double cross your father, Rin..." He was right by the door, and could probably hear her short breaths though the wood. 

"Call me Okumura-"

"I'll tell him that this one is dead and you will no longer be taking sacrifices until they are of age. " _  
_

"Why do you say that as if the girl isn't dead?"

"I wouldn't do this again, though. It is common, but you wouldn't want to start anything-- would you?" 

Izumo knew that her position was compromised, but she couldn't care to think on that. Her mind was racing with this new information. Her dragon was named Okumura Rin, and his father was someone important. The most important person in the dragon community was the dragon Satan, so that would make her dragon his son. She could no longer ignore the blue flames, nor the ability to hold his human form. 

She was dealing with a very dangerous dragon. 

"What do you mean by that?"  _A very stupid, dangerous dragon..._  

She felt the pull on her body before she heard the laugh. Her teeth ached as the man's deep voice echoed through out the wardrobe, and she felt like she was spinning. Something brushed by her face, and Izumo jerked back, hitting her head on the wall. The laugh was in her mind now, and she tried to not heave. 

 _"If you kill him, you will die a painful death. He might not be Satan's favorite son, but he is one of the most powerful. A good ally to have on your side."_ It was the man's voice from before, Mephisto if she remembered correctly. There was a loud pop, and Izumo gasped as the pressure lifted off her suddenly. 

"Little one?" Okumura opened the hatch, his face weary. Izumo blinked up at him, trying to hide the way her hands where shaking. He tried to help her out of the hole, but Izumo ignored him and forced her stiff legs to push herself out. She just made it to the bed before her legs gave out. Okumura followed her, but didn't sit. He watched as she gasped, bent at the waist, her head touching her knees. After a moment, he spoke. "So I guess you know what I am now..." 

Izumo could have cried at the moment, instead she put a mask of indifference up. She could not appear weak. Her red eyes she inherited from her mother met his bluer than blue eyes. "I've always known what you are, dragon, just not who you are." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a while because I was trying to figure out where I wanted to go with this, and how I wanted to introduce things. Still not sure if this is what I want, but I'm pretty happy with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the lateness, but I hope the length makes up for it!!

He stares at her, blue eyes tightening slightly at the corners. Izumo sighed, sitting up. Her head felt like it was filled with water, and she couldn't seem to blink it away. 

"I went to school to kill dragons, like you. We were taught the hierarchy of the dragons- meaning you since you are the prince- and the blue flames gave you away." Izumo hoped the dragon didn't notice her sluggish blinking, but he seemed too focused on the fact that he gave himself away than her face. 

"Oh, I didn't think I was being that obvious," He shook his head, pushing himself off of the bed. Izumo watched as he walked to the door, focusing on the way the light shifted on his shirt. He turned to look back at her, a thoughtful look on his face. "do you want to stay in here, Little one? The food should still be warm..."

Izumo cautiously inched forward, fingertips tingling as they pressed into the sheet. Her feet touched the ground, and she gave one final push, now standing on her own feet. Her head swam, and the step forward she took sent her to the floor. It was cool, and she closed her eyes, content to lay there for a moment. Okumura's voice  was ringing in her ears, but she could not understand him. 

_"A good ally to have on your side."_

_"A good ally to have on your side."_

_"A good ally to have on your side."_

The words blocked out all other sounds, Izumo tried to breath under the weight of it but it seemed impossible. She could faintly tell she was on her back now, and groggily blinked at the dark hair that hung over her head. Something burned her cheek. Izumo's eyes started to water, the tears collecting at the corners. Every time the phrase repeated in her head was another stabbing pain that muddled her thinking. 

_"Little one?"_ The dragon's voice pierced through the the chanting, and Izumo gasped. Air that she didn't know she wasn't getting filled her starving lungs, and Okumura looked down at her. The burning on her cheek was his hand. Her own hand, which was shaking so hard she doubted she could hold anything, rose, and gripped on his forearm. 

It took all she had just to breath, but she tried her hardest to speak. The concern in his eyes was uncomfortable. "My head-" Was all she managed to get out before the pain suddenly stopped. The dragon's eyes were closed tight, and his hand pressed harder against her cheek. 

The sensation was a cool burn, that spread throughout her mind. Pain escaped with every breath she took, and soon her body was at ease. The dragon was breathing hard, and he straightened his back, leaning his head back. Izumo was content to lay there. She might not be in pain any longer- but her body was still catching up to her. 

"He was in your head, I presume?" The words were soft, said on an exhale. 

"Yes." 

 Izumo took the sign of his muteness as a signal for her to keep talking. 

"Why?" She still had her hand on his arm, but she made now move to take it off. 

He looked down at her, brows furrowed. "I'm not sure, something just-" He paused, looking around the room. Izumo could see a blush crawling up his neck, and she forced herself up. "-have you gotten enough to eat? It should still be warm..."

Izumo nodded, finding herself extremely tired. Something had happened while Mephisto was in her mind, something felt off. Moving to the side, and pushing herself to her feet, Izumo knew she had to sleep soon. Her standing made the dragon stand as well, and he appeared just as tired as her. His shoulders sagged, and he clumsily hid a yawn. 

"Where should I sleep?" Izumo asked, edging away from him. He pursed his lips, and looked back at the bed. 

"If you would like you may sleep in here, I will not force you to sleep with me," He lifted the blankets, judging them. "I will bring you more blankets- this room gets the coldest."

"Thank you." Izumo moved to sit on the edge of the bed, and Okumura quickly moved out of the way. He stared at her for a moment before he shook his head and turned. 

"I'll be back, don't go anywhere." The dragon walked out of the room and Izumo snorted. Where would she go? Its not like she could leave out the back door, she was in a cave who knows how far under the ground, and even if she was to get out-what would be next? Her sister was still in the village, but she could not go and get her without being killed. The school was out of the question, as the last they've heard of her was that she would not be coming back. 

Not that she really found it necessary to go back anymore. While the school had been teaching her how to kill a dragon- it's weaknesses and strengths- it never once mentioned what their society was like. Never mentioned why they take offerings, only what they take. Stated that Satan was the most powerful dragon of all, told about the day his blue flames ruined many lives, and left it at that. 

Izumo lifted her leg onto the bed, and slid them under the blankets. They offered little against the cold of the room, but as Izumo let her body relax against the pillows behind her, she found that she didn't mind that much. Her eyes drooped, and her head nodded. The image of her sister was in her head as she fought to stay awake, but shifted into the dragon's blue eyes. Izumo frowned, confused at her thoughts, and let her head bob for the last time. 

* * *

 

When she awoke their were at least three more blankets on her. The room was pitch black, but she could feel their added weight. Izumo sat up, immediately pulling the blankets around her shoulders. The freezing air pierced her exposed skin, and she wished she was back where it was warm. Or that she had some way to turn on the lights. It only seemed the dragon could do that. 

After sitting for a moment, Izumo finally got the courage to throw her legs off the side of the bed. She gasped as the shock of the cold sunk in, and hastily stood so she could wrap the blankets around herself. Her bare feet were going numb from standing on the cold floor, and she took a cautious step forward. 

Her eyes could make out the dim forms of the book shelves to her left. Izumo started a slow walk to them, holding one arm out, waiting for the moment that she could touch the wood. The tips of her fingers brushed over the binding of a book, and she drew her hand down until she felt the bottom of the shelf. She walked forward until she felt the wall, and then she moved to the side until she found the edging to the door.

Breathing in was painful- Izumo hoped Okumura was awake. She needed warm air.

There was a dim light at the end of the hall, peeking out from the edges of a curtain, tempting her forward.  A low mummer of voices followed the slips of light, deep in conversation. Izumo inched forward, curious as to who it was talking. They were both male, and the dragons voice was obvious as she got closer. 

"You know we need her, Rin, this is an opportunity we can't pass." Izumo froze, dread making her stomach heavy. There was a scoff, sounding like the dragon. 

"I will not allow you to-" 

"She can get the school on our side-" 

"Our allies have already multiplied-"

"The school has assets that we need!" It was a shouting match now, and something fell with a clang. Blue light flared, blinding her for a moment in its abruptness. She backed away slightly, not wanting either party to hear her short breaths. Adrenaline ran high as the silence stretched, and the cold seemed to disappear as her heart beat faster. 

"She isn't..." Okumura said, and Izumo was compelled to move forward ever so slightly. She wanted to hear what he said next perfectly. "...I don't think she left on the best terms with the school. We have time to gather more powerful allies- we do not need the school."

"The school would kill many of our side before they discovered, it would be best if they knew the reason behind why the dragons are revolting."

Izumo stood straighter, pushing herself to go into the room. This man who was talking seemed to be non threat to her, and she doubted if he would harm her if he could. She was needed. 

"They would probably take the opportunity to kill all of you while you are weak." She said, pulling back the curtain. The change of light made her blink, struggling to see, but soon the faces of the men came in view. 

They were both wide eyed. The man to her left was not the dragon, but shared similar features. Their eyes were both a shade of the striking blue, and she narrowed her eyes at them. Okumura opened his mouth, clearly shocked. 

"So you are the girl," The one who wasn't her dragon but looked like him smiled. He held out a hand. "My name is Okumura Yukio, its a pleasure to meet you."

The dragon seemed to bristle at her being here, and Izumo frowned at both of them. "Kamiki Izumo." She said, pulling the blanket tighter to her. Although the air was definitely warmer in here, she didn't want to open herself to them. 

"I am assuming that you heard our conversation?" Yukio said. He glanced at the dragon from behind his square spectacles, a smug look settling on his face.

"Yukio, now is not the time for this- we haven't even ate yet." The dragon was angry, but forced himself to stay calm. Izumo pulled the blanket closer to her, wanting to go closer the the fire burning at the center of the room. 

"Why don't you go make us something to eat while Kamiki and I talk." Izumo watched as the dragon's face slowly purpled. She almost expected him to explode like he did last morning, but he just turned stiffly. The curtain closed quickly after he left, and Izumo took it upon herself to go sit by the fire. 

Yukio followed her, a small smile on his face. "What do you want with the school?" Izumo asked, not meeting his eyes. Her fingers pulled at the hem of the blanket and he sat down across from her. 

"We are planning on overthrow my father, and we need more allies." He said it so plainly at first she thought he was joking. 

"Your father?" She asked, not wanting to believe him so easily. While father could be anyone, it didn't take her long to put two and two together. Yukio smiled, and Izumo found herself wishing she was still at the school. She was surrounded by insane men. 

"Yes, Satan. King of the Dragons, Ruler of Gehenna , what ever you chose to call him-"

"But you aren't a dragon, you cannot be his son." Dragons had a certain swagger to them, not to mention the physical attributes. Spotting one was quite easy once you were trained in it, but Yukio did not show any of the signs. 

"Rin got most of that side of the genes. I got the human, he got the dragon."

"That doesn't make sense." Izumo frowned at him, not trusting his story. Even if it was true, Yukio should have some dragon characteristics, it was impossible for brothers to have opposite genes. 

"Not a lot of things here make sense, I guess you have to learn to roll with it." Yukio pushed up his glasses then stared at her. She stared back at him for a moment, then looked away. 

"So what do you want with the school? Why do you need me?" She asked, not wanting to sit in the silence. 

"The school is full of hunters who are trained to kill dragons, it would be wise to get them in on this plan. You, Kamiki, would talk them into fighting with us." Yukio said, face under control. This was obviously a very important step in his plan, or else he wouldn't be so serious. 

"And why can't you do that yourself?" Izumo already knew the reason, but she wanted to make sure he knew. 

"A dragon going into the school is a death wish." He frowned. 

"But you have already told me that you are no dragon, what would they do to you?" Yukio's face darkened, but he made no comment on her words. "I only went to the school for three years, I don't hold much power in the system. They might not listen to me."

"You're the only option we have." 

Izumo narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion filling her. "What after?"

"What?"

"What happens after? If we did kill Satan, what would you do?"

He thought for a moment, casting his eyes downward. "We would work with the humans and make a treaty."

"No more taking sacrifices. Freeing those who are already taken." Izumo knew that this could be a big change in the society, and even if she didn't trust Yukio, she had to take that chance.

"I believe that those should be discussed with the members of the school, but you can certainly bring them up." There was a cautious side to his voice that Izumo didn't like, as if he wasn't sure they could do that. 

The smell of food wafted in the room, quickly drawing her attention away from Yukio. The dragon walked in, three bowls of soup balanced carefully in his arms. Yukio reached up when his brother was close, taking two of the bowls away from him. A bowl was passed to her, and she greedily moved it closer to her. The heat spread through her fingertips, up into her arms. 

Sitting down next to Izumo, the dragon started to sip on his soup. "Will you do it?" He asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. 

"I will." Izumo wasn't sure how they were going to pull it off though. If the dragon entered the school, he had moments before he would be attacked. Yukio on the other hand, could probably go in with her, but if he mentioned anything huge he would also be killed. She could even be killed if they decided she was working with the enemy- which she was in a way. 

Yukio pulled out a sheet of paper, and placed it in the middle. A slim charcoal pencil followed it after. "We will need a layout of the school, or as much as you can remember."

Izumo set her bowl down, taking the pencil in her fingers. The first stroke was a long line, stretching across from one end of the paper to the next. "The main door is here..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was been deleted three times because I forget to save, but its finally here!! Now that I have a better grasp on the plot, I hope the updates will be faster!! :)


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